graduate studies in cardiovascular perfusion

return to: all graduate programs

• master of science in cardiovascular perfusion

lynette austin, dean, college of health sciences
dr. jeff bennie, medical director
david webb, interim program director
ed evans, clinical liaison

program foundations

the master of science in cardiovascular perfusion is a 22-month master level program. 42 credit hours of didactic learning take place over two, on-campus semesters and 18 credit hours of clinical training takes place over three semesters at various clinical locations around the country. this program will educate and train students to become perfusionists, vital members of the cardiac surgical team responsible for the selection, setup, and operation of a mechanical device commonly referred to as the heart-lung machine. the perfusionist is responsible for operating the machine during surgery, monitoring the altered circulatory process closely, taking appropriate corrective action when abnormal situations arise and keeping both the surgeon and the anesthesiologist fully informed.

the cardiovascular perfusion curriculum prepares students to enter a highly skilled and desired position. the partnerships lipscomb has developed all around the country ensures that students have the highest quality clinical placements during their education and provide  excellent job opportunities after graduation.

lipscomb college of health sciences is leading the future of health care education with innovative training of compassionate health care professionals who are prepared to live out their purpose and calling by serving patients and providing care that brings physical healing, as well as, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being. cardiovascular perfusion sciences is an in-demand health care program with only 20 other programs across the nation. the job market is excellent and growing as heart disease is the number one major health risk in america.

perfusion students train in a state-of-the-art health simulation center, which is uniquely equipped to provide hands-on learning in a low-risk environment during didactic training semesters. the center includes a newly designed and specialized laboratory dedicated to cardiovascular perfusion instruction. lipscomb’s simulation center provides an excellent learning environment for students to practice before they practice. 

minimum credits

the master of science in cardiovascular perfusion requires completion of 60 semester hours.

admission

the master of science in cardiovascular perfusion requires a candidate to submit an application by the published deadline and participate in an interview process. not all candidates who meet the program minimum requirements will be invited for an interview. applicants must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution, or the international equivalent verified by wes, or anticipate earning a bachelor’s degree prior to matriculation into the perfusion sciences program. 

admission to the program is based on a combination of many factors, including undergraduate and/or graduate academic record, professional experience, on campus interview and references. the admissions committee also considers the student’s essay and interview in the admissions process.

eligible students

hold a u.s. bachelor’s degree or equivalent who have completed the required pre-requisite courses or the pre-requisite career minimum.

pre-requisites

the prerequisite classes must be obtained from a regionally accredited u.s. institution. any classes that deviate from this list may not be accepted if the class does not meet the same academic and scientific rigor. for science courses, a recent timeframe for completion (within the past ten years) is required.  

science course expiration policy

all prerequisite science courses must be taken within ten years of matriculation. if a one-semester science course was completed greater than ten years prior to the time of matriculation, then the course must be repeated. if a two-semester science course was completed greater than ten years prior to the time of matriculation, then at least one-half of the course must be repeated. all prerequisite science courses older than ten years and with a grade of “c” or less must be repeated. 

the cardiovascular perfusion program offers two pathways for admission. 

pathway a:

biochemistry i  (3-4 semester hours, with or without lab)

human anatomy and physiology i & ii with lab (8 semester hours)

microbiology with lab (4 semester hours)

math (6 semester hours)

• statistics
• calculus 

physics with lab (4 semester hours)
calculus- or non-calculus-based accepted.

pathway b:

bachelor of science from an accredited college or university and at least one of the following:

rrt

rn

medical technologist with ascp certification

one year of working experience within the last three years

documentation of work experience verified through an employer

additional info

many other factors are considered in the holistic review of the application, interview, and admissions process. they may include the following: communication skills, letters of recommendation, problem solving skills, professionalism, work experience, degree(s) earned, research, volunteerism, interview performance, attitude, timeliness, and other factors that help differentiate those applicants that possess the highest likelihood of succeeding as part of the healthcare team as a cardiovascular perfusionist. 

achieving the prerequisite and minimum requirements does not guarantee an invitation to interview with or an offer of admission into the cardiovascular perfusion program. certain exceptions may be granted on an individual basis concerning admission requirements. no assurances or guarantees are given or implied based on the completion of the prerequisites or achieving a high level of academic performance.

application process

1. before applying, candidates should be certain that they meet the prerequisite listings for one of the admissions pathways. achievement of a grade of c or higher for each prerequisite course is mandatory. required courses should be completed by the end of the spring semester prior to desired enrollment; however, coursework may be in progress or planned at the time of application without it negatively impacting the application. 
2. clep/advanced placement credit - advanced placement (ap) and clep credit (credit by examination) may be used to satisfy prerequisite coursework provided that the credit is accepted by the applicant’s degree-granting institution and is posted on the applicant’s official academic transcript. acceptance of credit is at the discretion of 世界杯2022预选赛录像回放 based upon course equivalency standards.
3. applicants must have a cumulative academic grade point average (gpa) of not less than 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for all coursework to be eligible to apply. achievement of a grade of c or higher for each prerequisite course is mandatory.
4. applications must be completed and submitted electronically via the lipscomb website. please read the instructions very carefully to be sure the application is submitted properly.  applications will open on july 1 with an october 15 priority deadline for the following fall.
5. for pathway a, application requirements include: 3 letters of recommendation, 1 essay, and final official transcripts from each university attended. students with in-progress coursework should provide preliminary official transcripts for initial review prior to graduation.  for pathway b, application requirements include: final official transcripts from each university attended, documentation of a minimum one year work experience within the last three years by an employer in the filed of respiratory therapy, nursing or medical technology. additional verification of credentials may be required.
6. interview: an interview is required for admission to the 世界杯2022预选赛录像回放 cardiovascular perfusion program. interviews are conducted by invitation only; achieving the pre-requisites and minimum requirements does not guarantee an invitation to interview. each complete application will be evaluated for competitiveness within the pool of candidates.
7. health form. each applicant must submit a completed health form signed by a health care provider. (to print a copy of the health form, visit www.fellaworld.com/healthcenter/ forms.) this form must be submitted directly to lipscomb’s health center.
8. ferpa. the family educational rights and privacy act affords students certain rights of access to educational records; even if you are independent of your parents, you must submit this form prior to enrollment.
9. toefl. the test of english as a foreign language is required for international students. (see section titled international students for more information.)

all application items should be submitted to the college of health sciences no later than 90 days before the beginning of the semester or term in which the student plans to enroll.
 

transfer and waiver of courses

the program does not currently accept transfer students from other perfusion programs nor does the program grant transfer credits or advanced placement to any matriculating student. the courses in the program are specifically geared toward the field of perfusion, graduate coursework from other institutions which may correspond to courses within the program curriculum will not be considered as substitutes for program curriculum.

documentation

students are required to provide satisfactory documentation of personal identification for off-site learning experiences required in many programs of graduate study at 世界杯2022预选赛录像回放 . failure to provide proper credentials will result in failure to complete the desired course of study. for complete policy, see section entitled required documentation for off-site learning experiences in the opening section of this catalog.

academic policies

course load

each cardiovascular perfusion cohort will follow the same course of study throughout the program. students will register for the predetermined classes prior to the beginning of each semester.  semester 1: 21 credit hours; semester 2: 18 credit hours; semester 3: 7 credit hours; semester 4: 7 credit hours; semester 5: 7 credit hours

academic standing

see graduate academic standing policy.

residency

no period of formal residency is required for a degree in the cardiovascular perfusion program; however, students do engage in clinical training over three semesters. students may be required to relocate in order to participate in their clinical requirements.

statute of limitations

all requirements for a degree in the college of health sciences must be completed within a five-year period from the time of initial matriculation.

candidacy

admission to a program does not imply admission to candidacy for the master’s degree. during the course of pursuing a degree, the student must be admitted to “candidacy.” for admission to candidacy, the student must satisfy the following:

1. complete all required undergraduate deficiencies, if admitted on condition.

2. complete courses as outlined in the perfusion program curriculum.

3. maintain a 3.00 gpa on all cardiovascular perfusion course work taken toward the requirements for the degree with no incomplete grades.

4. fill out the intent to graduate form as required by the university.

minimum gpa

a minimum gpa of 3.0 is required for both the cumulative gpa and the calculated prerequisite gpa. additionally, all applicants will be expected to have earned a ‘c’ or above in all prerequisite courses.

financial information

tuition and fees for 2024-25

*program trip fee (see program information for details)*

program of study requirements

• cardiovascular perfusion studies, ms

return to: all graduate programs